The invention relates generally to ground working equipment, such as agricultural equipment, and more specifically, to a pull frame for an agricultural implement.
Generally, fertilizer application implements are towed behind a tractor or other work vehicle via a hitch assembly secured to a rigid frame of the implement. These fertilizer application implements typically include one or more ground engaging tools or openers that form a path for fertilizer deposition into the soil. The openers are used to break the soil, thereby enabling injection nozzles (e.g., positioned behind the openers) to deposit fertilizer at a desired depth beneath the soil surface. In certain embodiments, the implement may include knives (e.g., positioned behind the openers), instead of injection nozzles, to flow the liquid fertilizer into respective trenches formed by the openers and the knives. Using such implements, fertilizer may be distributed throughout a field, either before or after planting, to facilitate enhanced crop development.
A fertilizer application implement may include a storage tank on a frame to house a flowable agricultural product for distribution throughout the field. A fertilizer application implement may also include actuating cylinders configured to adjust a height of the tool frame and/or to transition the tool frame between transport and working configurations. Hydraulic lines from the tractor or other work vehicle may be coupled to the hydraulic cylinders. Typically, the hydraulic lines are fastened to the tool frame at various points. Unfortunately, in certain configurations, the hydraulic lines may interfere with and/or contact moving parts of the fertilizer application implement, thereby wearing the hydraulic lines and/or limiting the range of motion of the moving parts. Moreover, the pull frame may interfere with the moving parts of the fertilizer application implement, thereby further limiting the range of motion of the moving parts.